Road Runners rock at Cobble Hill 10K

KEITH WAKELIN AND ROGER Plamondon were among the Road Runners posting impressive times at the Cobble Hill 10K. / PHOTO SUBMITTED

A small contingent of Comox Valley Road Runners attended the Cobble Hill 10K race, Jan. 27 in Mill Bay. It was the second event in the Island Race Series, which also includes the Comox Valley RV Half Marathon and the Merville 15K in March.

Geoff Martinson won the race in a course record of 30:46. Despite a small turnout The Road Runners team had strong performances and nearly everyone placed in the top 10 in their age categories. They were led by Vince Brotherston, finishing in a time of 35:25. Vince was also the first Masters racer to finisher.

Les Disher had a fantastic race, posting a personal best time of 39:03 and winning his age category. He was closely followed by Keith Wakelin, Louis Lamb and Roger Plamondon who all managed to get under the coveted time of 40 minutes for the 10K distance. Jerry Van had a great race, finishing in 42:13.

On the women's side, Laura Wyatt, Leslie Curie, and Karen Weller all had excellent races and finished in close succession. All three earned top 10 finishes in their respective age categories.

Three very dedicated racers took on the double challenge of the Yeti Snowshoe race on Mount Washington on Saturday in addition to the Cobble Hill 10K on Sunday. They were Brad Crowe, Louis Lamb, and Karen Weller. Very impressively, all three posted good results in both races.

The Cobble Hill 10K also marked the return of the 100m sprint. Inspired by the Tour de France, the runner with the fastest final sprint is awarded a green jersey. The green jersey was won by Eric Tremblay in 12.76s. Patrick Montgomery of the Road Runners placed third in 13.29s.

Be sure to check out the Comox Valley Race Weekend on March 23-24. It includes a 5K race on Saturday and the Comox Valley RV Half Marathon on Sunday.

New this year is a Saturday night pasta dinner, with former Canadian half marathon champion Jim Finlayson as a keynote speaker. It will also feature local musician Paul Rodgers and a guest as entertainment during dinner. For more information, visit www.cvrr.ca.